ketchup post

Weekend Money is a musical duo born straight out of the New York lifestyle scene, as in one that pulls influence from everything AND music. The group is comprised of NYC/Philadelphia-based rapper Ne$$ (who is a member of the Dead Prez affiliated group A-Alikes) and Brooklyn, by-way-of Iraq, producer/vocalist Baghdaddy. And although they do explain in their bio that they’re [obviously] not the first musicians to pull from the plethora of influences that is New York City, they do describe the following:

New York City is everything. We wouldn’t have made this project if we didn’t live here. There are so many people, personalities, stories, sounds, etcetera everywhere you turn. The city is the muse for this project.

The quote is in reference to their Naked City EP, which dropped last year, but the influence is there nonetheless and it is certainly something that still remains. I guess for me personally, in essence, Weekend Money embodies the progress growth of the hip hop music genre (which in turn embodies NYC as the foremost city driving culture and inspiration worldwide).

Their lyrics are consciously tied to the emotion and style of each instrumental, making them versatile and marketable. And their beats, whether self produced or aided by the likes of Hot Sugar, incorporate spacey synths and grungy drums and bass lines that tip their to both 90’s hip hop riffs and 2013 EDM jams. Samples of their work and links to their social media networks are all provided below.

Around 3 or 4 months ago, while I was exploring the vast abyss of music, that is Soundcloud, I came across a rapper out of London, going by the name Dvnny Seth (Pronounced “Danny Seth”). I was pleasantly surprised by his single, “£££,”, immediately downloaded his entire first mixtape, PRESPLIFFS VOL. I, and proceeded to eagerly listen to every song up on his Soundcloud page. I couldn’t put a finger on exactly what it was, but I was absolutely positive that I liked what I was hearing. Fast-forward several months, and Dvnny Seth has released another strong mixtape, PRESPLIFFS VOL. II, and is now on the radar of big name artists, such as Pharrell Williams.

Seth’s British accent really accentuates the combination of his clever, yet meaningful verses and unique, polished flow, all of which set him apart in an already crowded hip-hop/rap scene. His tracks, often backed by heavy trap beats, frequently portray stories from throughout his life, and give off a very chill, relaxed vibe, making his music appropriate for many occasions. These factors, along with the fact that he has a distinct, A$AP Rocky-esque sense of style, made for the big-screen, give me the feeling that Dvnny Seth is poised to blow up very soon. Look for 2013 to be a very big year for the 22 year old, as he is set to release SHEETS: PACK 1 and PRESPLIFFS VOL.III later in the year…And, when Dvnny Seth becomes a household name, remember TNJ told you first!

Ladies and gents, meet Andrew Holzberger aka Whole-Z, a brand new discovery of mine as of 23 minutes ago and already one of my favorite young remixers I’ve stumbled upon lately. A college student from Vermont, he’s remixed everyone from Martin Solveig to DJ Kool to Edward Sharpe; all of them wildly different and unbelievably well crafted. I’ll be making sure That New Jam is keeping a close watch on this kid’s progress because he’s certainly got my attention. 3 tracks to catch you up with so be sure to grab the downloads and enjoy!

For those of you who haven’t heard of Olu, allow me to bring to you the second installment of The Ketchup Post. The product of Cleveland, OH, he’s released 3 mixtapes already and after hitting 10,000 Facebook fans, he released the music video for Apple Juice Break that you see below. Browse around his YouTube channel, he seems to keep that updated fairly consistently and enjoy the tracks!